, 1887-03-05
THE ALPS IN WINTER.
AN ENGLlSHMAN CROSSING BY THE
ALBULA FASs IN A STORM.

An Undertaking That Called for All tie
Skill of al Experienced Guide-r.iI
Over "a Precipice-An Almost Mirucu-
lous Escape.
L was informed that in some parts Of the
pass there were masses of snow fourteen
ana sixteen feet deep, II it would be all
but Impossible to get through them. AS
i persisted in my determination, however.
l at length succeeded in obtaining the serv-
ices of u sturdy peasant who knew every
inch of the route, and who was tempted by
the liberal fee / offered him. We left
Bergun soon after IL with q well stocked
knapsack of provisions, including u bottle
OF old brandy. An hour later the sky had
clouded over, the sun had quite disap-
peared and little wreaths of powdcry
snow filed the air.
AS we approached the majestic and tprA
rifle Tcufelsthal the snow thickened and
fell in large, compact flakes, while the
gust Of deadly wind came up with u roar
from the awful rnyine where the ATbula
thundcrs in its rocky bed 300 feet below
the roadway. The whole landscape was
oblterated, and it was impossible to see
half n dozen yards ahead. The road itself
was entirely lost, but the guide, with I'M
erring instinct, traced the way, cleverly
avoiding the precipices and the drifts,
though now and again we found ourselves
struggling up to the waist in soft accu-
mutations on the road itself. By the tim
we had painfully toiled up to the well
known stone bridge which spans the awful
ravinc, the wind was blowing a gale,
while the snow was binding. We came
within an ace of plunging down into the
rocky chasm; for the snow was level
with the parapet of the bridge, over
which it curled in n great cornice.
A PERTLoUs UNDERTAKING.
Here, for the first time perhaps, we
fully realized the hazardous nature of the
undertaking. But to turn back was out
of the question, as that would have been
even worse than going on. From the
bridge the road is carried over the face of
n stupendous precipice, and thence de-
pouches on to an extensive plain. Before
opening upon the plain the defile is ex-
ceedingly narrow, and through this the
wind swept with such terrific force, and
was so charged with compact snow, hat
six different times were we driven back
into the shelter of the projecting rocks
that broke the force of the cruel blasts.
AT length, taking advantage of n lull, we
forced the passage and gained the open.
l confess that here | almost lost heart.
TIL icy wind seemed to blow clean through
OAtf 'hA = ohoi6 III CnROoto DlA 10 VI VIC
face like whip cords. All around appeared
to be a solid wall of snow. The flakes
were as large as five shilling pieces, and
almost blinded one. Conversation was out
of the question, for it was was impossible
to hear each other, while the exertion re-
quired to make progress at all was ex-.
ceedingly exhausting.
No one who hadn't been born among
these mountains and who had not spent a
lifetime in such dcsolate regions could
possibly nave found his way and must In
evitably nave persisted. But my guide,
with one or two exceptions, never once
seemed to go astray. For myself, | fol-
lowed in his tracks mechanically. l was
numbed and drowsy, and he had the APP
pearance to me of a white specter only
dimly seen. Although by the hour there
should AVE been plenty OF daylight, the
air was darkened by q thick snow, and /
began to very seriously doubt whether it
was at all possible to reach our destina-
ton. The guide had similar thoughts, fol
soon after he stopped and shouted in my
ear that there was a Shepherds hut some
where about there, and il would be as
well to try and find it and shelter in it for
the night. l readily acquiesced in this
proposal, and we turned off at an angle
and forged ahead for about n quarter of
an hour, when, with startling suddenness,
the guide disappeared-where l knew not.
| only knew that he had gone out of my
vision, and l was left alone in hat CHASTITY
region of death, with the appalling roar
of the wind and the river laundering In
my ears.